Waiting For Tomorrow
by KarakuRoku
Summary: "Hey Ib... Um... If only two of us could get out of here... then what?"
1. Prologue

**Title: Waiting For Tomorrow (Prologue)**

**Fandom: Ib**

**Pairing/s: None; Intended to be a purely platonic fic**

**Summary: "Hey Ib... Um... If only two of us could get out of here... then what?"**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is owned, nothing is taken. - -**

* * *

_Sacrifice._

_Ib only had a rather small idea of what that word could mean, but she didn't know what possessed her when she used that word in her and Mary's earlier conversation. Although the seemingly younger girl just laughed and tried to reassure Ib they'd all get out together, their little chat wouldn't leave her mind._

_What if it was really true? What if only two out of three of them could get out? With the many surprises this fake gallery's given them, most not even amusing, there could still be a lot of things they were missing._

_Mary continued looking at the various paintings and that one mannequin head in the room while Ib took a moment to stare at her rose. Only four petals were left since she had tripped and accidentally breathed in that odd, red gas, but she was sure she could manage. She went over to the only vase in the room and placed in her rose, watching with eager fascination as it bloomed. A single petal grew As the lush, red color returned to the rose, and just like that it seemed like nothing ever happened to it. It was a good thing she hadn't used the vase earlier. There was no water left in it._

_Ib reached out for her flower but then paused for one moment. To Ib, this gallery made her realize how pretty roses actually were, no matter what color it came in. Garry had a vibrant blue rose, Mary had a bright yellow rose, and she had a deep red rose._

_The three primary colors, trapped in one place._

_The brunette clenched her rose protectively in her hand. Surely, they would all get out together right? A group of three should never be separated, like the three musketeers, or so._

_"Ib, look! I opened the door! I don't think there's anything left for us to do. Let's go this way!" And as Mary dragged her off to another room with stairs that went down, Ib tried to tell herself they will be getting out together. And if things took a turn for the worse... Then she'd willingly take matters into her own hands._

_Although she never knew them that long, Ib realized that she would do anything to keep both Mary and Garry safe and sound._

x-x-x-x-x

"Garry..."

"Hm?"

"... You look really dumb. Your hair's all over the place," Mary stated as she raised one brow. She turned around and stepped in front of the lavender-haired man, stopping both him and his brunette companion from taking another step down the stairs. "And your face looks white. What happened?"

"Didn't I tell you two that I don't remember a thing?" Garry sighed and used his hand to wave her off, making the blonde pout. If it weren't for Mary's constant questions, they probably would've escaped a little earlier. "I really don't know what I'd be doing in a room like that, because there's no way I'll be found in a room with those... unsettling things."

"Aww! But they are adorable! Here, I'll go get one for a quick sec and-"

"No!" Garry practically screeched, and Mary's sky blue eyes looked at him in surprise (and maybe it was just him, but for a moment he could have sworn she looked amused). Realizing how harsh his tone came out, the lavender-haired man scratched the back of his head and coughed awkwardly. "L-Look, leaving this place is a priority, okay? We shouldn't be slowing ourselves down so things'll go faster, right Ib?"

"..." No reply came, but Garry could still feel the young girl's little hand in his. He glanced down at her and was met by her blank gaze. Sweat dropped from the side of his forehead as he gently patted her head. "Hey Ib... are you alright? You're quieter than usual."

Ib blinked at the mention of her name before she slowly nodded. Garry raised one brow and slightly frowned. From what he could tell, Ib wasn't the type to daydream, but from what he saw it seemed like she had just snapped out from one.

"... You can tell the difference? Ib's always quiet," Mary spoke and went off to grab the red-eyed girl's hand. "Can we please go? I don't like this place."

The older man's stare narrowed itself on Mary, who smiled innocently and made some small talk Ib, who'd only reply with a nod. Garry still couldn't shrug off the feeling that there was something about Mary that came off as suspicious other than her constant mood swings. Maybe he was just being paranoid but he couldn't shrug off that feeling...

With a shake of his head, Garry's grip on Ib's ever so slightly tightened while he hesitantly ignored the voice at the back of his mind telling him to keep Ib away from Mary. "Okay then... Here, just a few steps more. My feet are already so sore." The soles of their shoes are the only sound they hear as they continue on the steps. They soon reach the bottom of the stairs and open a door they find to their left. They're greeted by a familiar scene, the black walls being the only difference from the original.

_Hey, isn't this..?_ Garry's eyes went wide as he looked around and lead the two girls up the nearby flight of stairs, unafraid of paintings coming to life since they were most likely in a safe zone. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ib carefully studying the art pieces and Mary practically jumping up and down from excitement.

The end to this nightmare was coming near.

They passed by a few more displays until they arrived a big painting. Garry looked down at its plaque and read its title out loud, "Fabricated World..?"

Ib and Mary stepped forward and silently read what the rest of the plaque said, confused from what 'fabricated' meant. The blonde girl raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her. "Is this supposed to be the way out?"

"Could be. The painting sort of resembles the real art gallery in an odd way..." Garry replied in a daze as he examined the painting. "But then... how do we get out?"

As if on cue, a bright light enveloped the room, making the trio cover their eyes with their hands. When the light faded out, Garry's the first to remove his hands and notice that the mural's frame was gone.

"Oh, so this is how we get out." Mary grinned as her blue eyes twinkled from excitement. "Okay then, let's all jump in at the count of three!"

"Wait! Where's Ib?" Garry started to panic as he noticed this, but stopped himself from yelling out her name when he saw the brunette girl a little behind Mary. Relieved, Garry went over to Ib and smiled. "Hey, don't go running around without us-"

"Paint..."

"... Huh?" Garry glanced down at where Ib was looking at. Drippy, red paint was leaking out of the mural. They waited for most of it to clear out until a readable residue of the paint was left.

_'only two come in, only two come out'_  
_'one stays, and NO leAviNG EVER HAPPY BE HapPY'_

"Wait... What? What do they mean-"

"Ib! Garry! Come on and jump over!" A horrified expression was plastered on his face as Garry looked up to see Mary had crossed over to the other side already.

Muttering a silent curse, Garry franitcally turned his head towards the young blonde. "Mary, get back here and read this!"

"I would but I... sort of can't..." Mary raised a fist and started banging on some sort of invisible barrier that separated her from the rest of the gallery. "Guys? What's wrong?"

"Only... Only two can get out..." Garry's voice shook as he tried to speak, and Mary's face went blank. After they had gone this far, only two of them could leave? And with Mary importantly? But they were all from the gallery! So why..?

Dazed, Garry unconsciously took out his blue flower. Only one petal left... Maybe he could stay behind, and both Ib and Mary could get out. Could he bring himself to stay in this place? Of course not, but as long as they could be safe...

_Seems like I can't keep my promise on having macaroons with you Ib..._ Garry chuckled to himself sadly and placed his rose back in his pocket. The young adult was about to tell Ib what he had in mind, but when he faced her, he's stupefied to silence.

The little girl was smiling.

It was a rare sight to see, but what mattered was the fact that she smiling. And as Ib went over and hugged Garry tightly, the lavender-haired man could only stare at her small in surprise. What was she doing? And...

Why did this feel like goodbye?

And just as sudden as the hug came, Ib pushed Garry back with all the strength she could manage, making him stumble into the mural.

"Wha- No! This wasn't supposed to happen!" Mary cried out and brought both of her fists up to the unseen shield and frantically started hitting on it. "Ib! Please! I thought we'd be together forever!"

Albeit a minute too late, Garry had snapped out of his stupor and ran in front of where Ib was. From behind the little girl, he noticed shadows slowly creeping up in the room, and he's terrified not for himself, but for Ib.

Yet he knew there was nothing more he could do.

Garry stared at Ib with disbelieving eyes that silently asked why? Why would she do such a thing and practically throw her life away for him?

She stared at him intently, and took her five-petaled rose out of her pocket. Ib smiled at him again, only this time a hint of sadness came with it. "I guess wanted to know what sacrifice really means. It's nice to know that it was worth it."

"But Ib-"

"So thank you... and goodbye." Garry's voice was stuck in his throat and couldn't find the will to scream her name as the brunette girl turned to face the darkness and the figures hidden within the shadows, her rose held tightly in her hand.

The light grew brighter and brighter. The last thing Garry heard as pure white enveloped his vision was Mary's anguished cries.

x-x-x-x-x

...

_..?_

_What was I doing?_

Feeling a little light-headed, the lavender-haired man placed a hand on his aching forehead as he propped himself up by the wall. He looked around for one moment to check his surroundings, and took note of the fact that he was still in the gallery.

For some reason, Garry felt both relief and emptiness as he sighed.

_Did I doze off? And in front of people, out of all things? I feel tired..._ Garry thought to himself as he closed his eyes and massaged his temples. _I should really get some more sleep when I get home..._

"_You_."

Garry's blood suddenly ran cold at the sound of the icy voice.

Hesitantly, he directed his gaze to go upward, and is met by electric blue eyes staring at him with unbridled rage. The little girl's teeth gritted together as she clenched one hand tightly on his jacket's sleeve and the other on her forest green dress.

He was not given the chance to speak as soon as the blonde girl started pounding her hands on his stomach.

"This is your fault! All your fault!" she yelled out once Garry doubled over and collapsed on the floor from the pain that the young girl had inflicted. "If-If you had just been good and stayed out of the way, then me and Ib... Ib would be..!"

"W-Wait! I didn't do anything!" Garry protested once he noticed the apprehensive glances he and the little girl were receiving. "Who's Ib? Who're you? What do you mean?"

"You know very well what I mean! Stupid Garry!" Now tears are brimming out of her eyes, but the girl ignored them as she reached out and grabbed a fistful of his top and pulled him closer so they were face to face. "Now bring Ib back. She's gone because of you. Bring her back!"

"Mary! What are you _doing_ young lady?" Both Garry and the troubled child snapped their attention at a red-eyed lady that forced herself in the crowd that had formed and walked briskly towards their direction. The adult grabbed the blonde girl's - wait, Mary's, if he heard her name right - arm and forcefully tore her away from Garry. Ignoring Mary's tantrum, the lady frowned and looked at the figure below her apologetically. "I'm sorry for my dear girl's behaviour. She's been quite restless lately and I don't know why."

"I-It's fine ma'am. I'm just... caught a little off guard," he replied quietly and placed a hand on his stomach, wincing at the sharp pain that came right after. This kid could pack a good punch. "Maybe she's just having some issues as an adopted child."

The mother gave him an incredulous look. "Mary is not adopted, despite her difference in looks."

"Oh, er, I see." Garry coughed awkwardly and shifted in his spot, regretting his own words already. "Then, um, I just hope she stops causing trouble soon."

"So do I..." her mother said with a quiet frown and began to lead Mary away as the little girl kept yelling ridiculous statements about Garry. "She's not like I once remembered her to be..."

The pair disappeared down a flight of stairs nearby, and Garry heaved a breathe of relief. That was not good for his mentality at all. He didn't mind the fact that he just got beaten up by a little girl, but he hated drama people kept causing, and publicly too.

Garry refused to get some treatment and got up from his position by himself once the crowd had dispersed. Dusting himself off with his hands, the lavender-haired man checked himself if anything was broken, and sighed to himself, relieved that no serious damage was done.

Finally satisfied, Garry began planning to head home when a painting he never noticed had caught his eye.

_That's odd... I scaled the whole gallery and I never saw this... _Garry stepped forward and took a closer look at it. The painting definitely stood out, which made Garry wonder all the more as to why he noticed this piece of art.

The painting consisted mostly of dark colors. The borders of the painting formed shadows that seemed to come to life, and if he looked carefully, Garry spotted these... disturbing dolls with crimson red eyes that seemed to stare right at a person. Suprisingly, there seemed to be crayon drawn here and there, along with a few, red rose petals that were skillfully placed to make everything seem so natural.

Then there was the center point of the portrait.

A little girl, no older than 10 probably, stood in the midst of the chaos with only her back seen as she emitted this soft, white glow, as if she were some sort of last hope. Her long, brown hair that reached the small of her back flowed gracefully. She wore a white, long-sleeved blouse, black knee socks and sandals that matched the color of her red skirt. In her right hand, she held a blue and yellow rose protectively by her side.

Her left hand though, held a withering red rose which had only one petal left.

_As the rose wilts, so you too will wilt away._

That day, when Garry left the gallery with tears that he couldn't stop, he wondered why he felt guilt, remorse and regret when he read the painting's title.

Somehow, he knew that the portrait of the girl in Distant Memory would not leave his mind for years that were to come.

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**A/N: Uuh... *nervously chuckles* Hi Ib fandom? uwu;; So I recently got into Ib and now I'm completely obsessed, and after a few weeks of mental debate I decided to write a fic in tribute of that fabulous game, ahaha. This is my first time writing something that isn't Kingdom Hearts, so I hope you guys like it so far. It might be a... little rushed though, ahaha ^^;**

**I kept asking myself, what if Mary hadn't gone crazy, and what if Garry and Mary came out instead, and Ib stayed behind? This is pretty much like the Memory's Crannies ending, except for the Ib and Mary thing. No, there are no pairings even though I ship Ib and Garry. There might be OCs but they're only minor and are for the sake of keeping the plot moving.**

**Thank you for reading! A review, especially constructive criticism and suggestions for the story, would be nice and much appreciated. :3**


	2. Chapter 1

**Title: Waiting For Tomorrow (Chapter 1)**

**Fandom: Ib**

**Pairing/s: None.**

**Summary: "Hey Ib... Um... If only two of us could get out of here... then what?"**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is owned, nothing is taken. - -**

**Thank you so much for the reviews, favs and follows everyone! I'm glad you guys like this so far! ;v; ****Blegh, I don't like how this chapter came out, especially with how it ended and how uneccessarily long this is. I might retype this again or just update it later on, since I typed all this while I was sick and it affects how I write. I'm getting better though *shrugs* Anyway, chapter 2's already in the works, and I've planned out what takes place in this story already, with an estimation of this story having less than 20, or maybe 15, chapters. I hope I have enough willpower to finish this story though! Ahaha- /shot**

**Onwards with chapter 1!**

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"And... done!"

A somewhat pale hand moved to wipe beads of sweat that started to drip down his forehead as the lavender-haired man cracked a subtle smile, clearly pleased with himself. He had been working on this mind game for weeks, slaving away on it whenever he had his free time, or used it as a way to vent out his problems and frustrations on it. Fortunately, all his efforts had not gone in vain.

On his desk was a completed milk puzzle.

"Well, like always, it wasn't a lot of fun working on this but..." Garry silently murmured to himself before sighing and leaning back on his chair, a half smile on his lips as he stared at the colorless puzzle. "At least I finally solved another of these troubling things."

Garry yawned and spun on his chair once, then stared blankly at his completed work after the 360 degree turn. Despite the satisfaction it brought out, Garry wasn't the type of person to like milk puzzles. He thought they were a waste of time, too plain and unworthy to be finished. But as the years went by, he somehow held this grudging interest for them. Each time he saw one, he couldn't help but have this strange urge to solve it. These things helped calm his nerves, yes, but he never once grew to love these puzzles. They were like a replacement for smoking cigarettes, an addiction he never enjoyed.

How long had it been...? Around 8 years? Guertena's gallery sure had gotten to him in odd ways, and he still wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. A little while after he left that place, it was more or less during that time when he lost his lighter but first had the urge to solve a milk puzzle.

"I don't know why or even how it's come to this, Garry." A woman appearing on his right suddenly spoke up and placed one hand on Garry's shoulder, her gaze narrowed at the puzzle that held pure white. "I remember that you hated milk puzzles, and I even had to bribe you just to solve one back then. But look at you here with one. What's with the sudden change of heart?"

_"It feels much more worth it to do a puzzle of a picture you like..."_

Garry flinched, wondering why such a random thought crossed his mind, then shook his head before he stood up and stretched his long arms upward. "Well, I'm not sure why either Ma, but at least I'm doing something that isn't painting, right?"

"Garry, what do you saying? Of course you should be painting!" His Mother gasped, her long, graying hair swaying to the side as she moved to his left where his one uncovered eye was. "You have such beautiful art pieces, and all this is still the beginning for you Garry. Why would you decide to stop now?"

Garry shrugged as he rolled down the folded, long sleeves of his dark green shirt and smoothed out the few wrinkles on his clothes with his hands. "I just don't know. I've... been on an art block I guess, but I really do want to paint something," he hesitantly lied while examining the milk puzzle. Or half-lied, at least. He honestly did have art block for the past few weeks, but he didn't want to let his Mother know that he was becoming lazy and had lost some of his interest in art over the past few weeks. She'd definitely freak out if he told her that, for she was someone who valued art since she grew up around them.

"Hm, I see... Well, if you say so dear." If his Mom could tell that he was fibbing, she made no indication to call him out on it and instead gently hugged her dear son. "What matters is that you're home. I missed you Garry. It's been a year since you left for your trip around the world."

"I missed you too Mother. It feels great to be home, even if it's only for a few days." Garry smiled as he hugged back and lightly placed his lips on the top of his parent's head. "It's hard to be surrounded by too many people without a familiar face to encourage you."

"But you _should_ be happy! You're finally the artist you wanted to be, and you're famous!" The woman clapped her hands once as her pale blue eyes twinkled with excitement. "Wasn't that what you wanted?"

"Um..." No, maybe he was just well-known right? ... Okay, well-known was definitely an understatement. He could be considered a celebrity, since just about every household that held interest in art knew his name. Even so, was what he really wanted in the past? His dream had come true, and yet all of it seemed... so distant. Redundant, even. "I mean... Well, I really don't think I'm that famous."

"Oh, always the modest one. You never change at all Garry." His Mother smiled softly as she went over one of the cabinets and took one of the picture frames on top of it. "Just like your dear Father... You two are so alike."

Garry decided to stay silent as his Mother stared at the picture on her hand longingly. Garry turned away, unable to bring himself to stare for too long. He wasn't strong at all. He cared about his Father a lot, and after he passed away when he was just a kid, a lot of things went downhill for him. After that, he wanted to just keep watching over his Mother, but as much as he didn't want to keep leaving her behind, his work always kept him busy, with little to no time for him to stay home. He didn't like to travel too much, for he believed that he was very much satisfied with home; even after all the foreign places he's visited. And with old age creeping up on his Mom, her time could come any day now, and that scared him.

He wanted to be by her side, or at least leave a piece of him while he would be away.

After a bit more thought, Garry sighed as he went over and patted the older woman's back, making her look up at him. "I'll tell you what Ma, you have a couple of spare milk puzzles in storage right? Why don't I paint on some of them for you so they actually form a picture of something... well, decent, more or less."

As he said this, the woman's pale blue eyes went wide from shock, and it made Garry wonder if that wasn't the right thing to say. "Er... I'm sorry if you don't want me to-"

"N-No, it's not that honey. It's... just that I..." His Mother was smiling calmly, but Garry noticed how her eyes were dancing. "A painting not from a famous artist, but a painting from my dear son. Ah, a painting from the heart? Dear me, I'm getting too overdramatic. Yes, I'd love that dear. I'm tired of these things being so plain."

Garry breathed a mental sigh of relief and smiled at his Mother. "I'll do my best, okay? I'm still on that art block though, so I might take a little while."

"I understand... Just take your time, okay sweetie? Just paint anything on it and I'll be happy as long as it's from you." His Mother gently smiled before hugging her son again. That was probably the millionth embrace he got from his Mother in just one day, but Garry didn't mind. "I'm so lucky to have you Garry. I can remember to smile as long as I know you care."

Garry's metallic blue eye looked down at his loving Mother, noticing how fragile her frame seemed to be compared to his. He had gotten probably a head taller than her, and he can't help feeling more anxious for her. His greatest fear was always losing anyone he cared about.

Just like that last time...

_"... and goodbye."_

Without any hesitation, Garry returned his Mother's gesture as his eyelids fluttered to a close, ignoring a pair of sad, maroon eyes that came to his mind. "I'll always do what I can for you, Mother."

x-x-x-x-x

" This is not going to be easy," Garry groaned as he let his head fall and land rather loudly on his table. He was usually a very patient person, but today he couldn't afford not to rush. He only had a few precious days, two or three weeks probably, to stay home until _they_ would find him.

With his brows knitting together, Garry quietly sipped on his cup of coffee before popping a macaroon into his mouth and narrowing his gaze at the milk puzzle. After that conversation with his Mother, he had excused himself shortly after and went outside for him to explore visit the old café where he used to go to. He wanted to work on his little project for his Mom as soon as he could and thought that eating macaroons would help him get out of his art block. Apparently that didn't help out much either.

Garry crumpled up the dirty tissue and stashed it in one of his pockets before he took a new one and took out his pencil to scribble something - anything - that he could possibly paint on the puzzle. Maybe a portrait of her would do? No, it'd seem too formal. How about a painting of both of them? That wouldn't work; the puzzle would be too small.

Garry scratched the back of his head and awkwardly bit on his pencil. He wasn't used having to plan what he had to paint. Usually, it came to him naturally, but his art block made a gap between his mind and imagination. It felt weird enough to not be using a brush, and worst of all it was hard enough trying to imagine that the milk puzzle was a blank canvas.

Absolutely nothing came in mind as he thought harder and harder for inspiration. After he threw away a few more tissues, Garry felt his head throb as he flung his hands in the air and loudly exclaimed, "I give up!"

He gave no care to the stunned patrons that stared at him as he slumped on his chair and used one hand to hide the visible side of his face from public eye, in case he was recognizable (like his oddly dyed hair wasn't a dead giveaway already), and let his other hand run through his lavender locks. This felt like college all over again, except he actually _cared_ to finish this project.

"... Garry? When'd you come back?"

Oh great, more distractions.

Crossing his fingers in hopes that this person was referring to another Garry (chances of that happening was pretty low though), he slowly raised his head up and cocked his head to the side. "Um... Yes?"

The woman was definitely familiar. Although she seemed to carry herself in a refined way, it was evident that her jet black hair was hurriedly tied in a sloppy braid. Her pair of sharp, green eyes stared at him tentatively with one raised brow. Last of all, an amused smirk danced on her lips. "Oh dear, you look like shit Garry. You really do."

Garry blinked once. Twice. Then he apprehensively stared back at the woman. This might've been better than meeting a fan of his works, but he still didn't like what was to come. "Lana, you know how I feel about cursing."

"Nice to see you too pretty boy," said woman nonchalantly replied, taking the seat directly across Garry without any needed permission. "I thought you were out of the country, exploring the world, seeing more art, that kind of boring stuff. Why'd you come back?"

"... You _are_ Lana, right?"

"Yes, I am."

_But you hate me_, was what he wanted to say. "Why are you talking to me again?"

"A woman's mind always has strange of ideas. I don't deny the fact that it applies to me too." Lana flashed him a mysterious smile, and Garry can't help but grow more suspicious by the second. "... And also, a rumor said that you had run off and disappeared during your tour. I heard your employers are looking for you like crazy after they lost sight of you at Paris."

Garry cringed and tugged on some of the darker strands that flowed from the top of his head. So that's what this was about? His little disappearance act all because of his paranoia? How did she find out? His disappearance was never in the news. Then again, this was Lana, a rich girl who probably has too many connections around the world, he was talking to. "Oh, um, I sort of sneaked out when they weren't looking... I guess?"

"Ah." The woman hummed to herself as she clasped her hands together, satisfied with his answer. She leaned in towards him and tilted her head to the side, feigning an innocent look. "Hm, did you do something with your hair? It looks... nice. Had a haircut lately?"

Garry twitched. This was getting too weird. A nice Lana didn't mean something good would come up. "Alright, what do you want Lana? I'm not in the mood for falling into any of your little plans."

"Relax, Garry, I'm just making small talk with an old friend-"

"_Classmate, _if you will."

"-who I haven't seen for a long time," she finished with a smile, though Garry didn't miss the hint of annoyance in her eyes. "You deny that we know each other?"

"It's _because_ we know each other that I deny even meeting you," Garry calmly replied and sipped once more on his coffee, not taking his eye off the woman. "You hated me back then, and honestly I don't like you much either. Why would your opinion of me change now?"

"Tut, tut. I haven't changed. I still do hate you even if you're some big hot shot now," Lana scoffed, but the venom that usually coated her voice was absent. If anything, she didn't seem angry. She was just… being truthful. Garry can't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "College has passed, people are growing, times are different, but some things will stay the same, even if it was a tiny accident, and we can't change most of these things."

_"This is your fault!"_

Ignoring the familiar yell that haunted his mind, Garry finished his last macaroon and slightly leaned forward and replied in a quiet whisper, "What do you want, Lana? I don't want to see you right now."

Garry had expected a smirk from her, then a crude remark to follow it up, but instead Lana quickly regained her calm composure and clasped her hands together while taking in deep breaths. "Well, honestly, after I found out you were around, you could say I'm here on official business. I'd like to offer you something, for both of our sakes."

"So you insult me, and then ask me something so out of the blue even if you've made it perfectly clear that you hate me?" Garry sighed, gathering his things up and placing them in a satchel he had brought with him."No, whatever it is, I'm not interested. I'm only here for a few days, and I'm here for my Mother and nobody else."

"Hmm, you were always too caring for your own good Garry. Loosen up a little." Impatience and frustration were getting to him, but still Garry only swore under his breath before deciding to ignore her. Besides, for the most of times, he was a pacifist. "But I assure you, it's only one little favor, and I won't ever bother you again."

A single shrug, then he lifted his satchel and let the sling settle comfortably on his shoulder. Garry wordlessly stood from his chair as Lana eyed him carefully. "Now, don't be such a kill joy ."

He began to walk away. "You didn't even hear me out yet."

His hand reached out for the exit's metal handles, and it's on that very moment when he heard a loud sigh. "I need help on restoring Guertena's gallery and to let flourish once more."

_'comegarrycOmegaRryCOME'_

He stopped himself from pulling the door open.

Slowly, Garry turned around as his eyes went wide while gazing at the dark-haired woman, who merely returned a passive stare. If it weren't for her now pale hands tightly clenched together, Lana would've looked perfectly calm. Was she actually desperate in having this conversation? And with him, of all people?

Deciding to hear her out - only for a little while, really - he took a few steps back to his table and sat across the green-eyed woman. "Guertena's gallery closed down a few years back. 5 years now, if memory serves me right. Why would I believe that it suddenly decided to open up again?"

"Ah, well, Father bought the gallery for my birthday. I was always fond of Guertena's works." Garry's mouth was left hanging open from surprise. Of course her parents would buy her something with such great value. They probably had too much money to burn, and they'd willingly spend it all on their dear daughter. The part that surprised him though, was her interest in Guertena. "I want to promote his gallery reopening again, and I'm hosting the whole thing. But then, despite his popularity back then, 5 years is enough to renew interests and let go of what's already gone, and to most, Guertena's only a very vague memory."

_"I think I'll go mad if I stay in this dreadful place for too long..."_

"Wow, but Guertena's an amazing artist. He was my inspiration to start painting, more or less. It'd be hard to just forget his works like that," Garry stated carefully, not wanting to reveal too much of himself to Lana, of all people. "But wait, how am I related to all this? Or more importantly, why would you need help from me?"

"Simple. Your idol was Guertena, yes? And you're know for your art, aren't you?" Lana flipped her braid over her shoulder and placed one arm on the table. "Well, to put it simply, I'd like you to come to the gallery's grand reopening as a special guest of course. If the public know that someone with your... talent, was coming and you looked up to Guertena, then imagine how many people would at least get interested in, the next _Guertena_, so to speak."

"First of all, I don't like crowds. Second, I'm not interested to be known as some Guertena wannabe. Lastly,I still don't get how I benefit at all from this."

"Don't be such a drama queen and deal with the crowds. You've done it before, you can do it again." _Geez, thanks for being so helpful._ "And besides, your art style differs from Guertena, but he was still your inspiration, and that definitely counts as something"

"And the answer to my last question?"

"Ah, yes. Well, I'm absolutely positive that you will benefit from this experience," Lana insisted with a knowing smile. "I'll be paying you if you do decide to come - yes I'm not forcing you in to this - and who knows? If the place is packed, you could get an extra surprise..."

_'Hey! I found something good!'_

A shiver ran down Garry's spine, but he stood his ground as he stared back at Lana's unwavering gaze. Why could he associate her last statement to dementing images? Sure, he was curious about this surprise, but the way she said that statement was just too… how could he put this in a _nice_ way… foreboding, like she was trying to say something else entirely or so?

"So, are you in or not?" Her voice landed on deaf ears as Garry suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He continued to think this through and could practically hear his heart beat in his ears. Something in him may have been excited and told him that he should definitely go, but another part in him told him never to go ten feet near that place. It was inner war with him, and yet he was still confused as to why he felt so hesitant on going.

_"Why won't you leave me alone?"_

He took steady, deep breaths, completely ignoring the woman across him and her piercing gaze. If he looked at the bright side of all this, maybe he could find something within Guertena's works that could help him with what to paint for his Mother. On the other hand, that meant he'd have to deal with the crowds _and some disturbing paintings-_

What was he saying? None of Guertena's works were disturbing. Especially that one painting… of a little girl… he saw back then…

_"I had a nightmare."_

Distant Memory… Now that he remembered that painting, he _really_ wanted to see it again. Something about it just pulled him in...

And made him feel nostalgic; Even guilty.

"_My name is Garry, what's your name?"_

"… Fine, I'm in."

* * *

**I'm blaming Lana for how crappy this chapter came out. *sighs* ****Lana's not having a major role in the story by the way. I'm trying to minimize the use of OCs here, because I'm terrible at creating OCs. Heck, I think Lana will only appear in this chapter and the next chapter. Death to the smug, rich girl! /killed**

**Thank you for reading! Hope you drop a review! Feel free to give constructive criticism and point out any mistakes~**

**P.S. Any Witch's House fans here? Sis and I watched Pewdie play it yesterday and Im practically screaming on how much I hate Ellen after I finished the whole thing ouo**


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